


Past Tense

by mohinikapuahi



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen, coda 3.06, pre slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-13
Updated: 2012-11-17
Packaged: 2017-11-18 14:17:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/561961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mohinikapuahi/pseuds/mohinikapuahi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes its harder on the witness than the victim.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Past Tense

Steve stood in the doorway, arms raised, trembling fingers loosely gripping the lintel as he sightlessly watched the waves crashing against his beach. Releasing his grasp he walked through the yard and across the lush grass, his hands plunged into his pockets, willing himself to calm down. But even after he reached knee deep water and into the tidal pull of the ocean he couldn't force himself to relax. Even the ocean had failed him when he really needed its calming influence.

After all, he’d had the same day dozens of times before. Sometimes with a different outcome than today. He’d lost good men, good friends, but he wouldn’t let himself go there, they all mattered but this one, this one there was no coming back from. He couldn’t even bear to think worst case scenario today. It was the saran attack all over again. He wasn’t losing anyone. Especially not this anyone. Not again. Nothing had ever hit him this hard before. This was Danny.

His Danny.

He had seen the red light on Danny’s chest and his own heart had stopped. He’d had to force breath into his lungs just to stay conscious for Danny. He’d seen these bombs before. They were the ones that never ended well. 

If only he’d been ahead of Danny in the foot chase. If only he hadn’t been so engrossed with the story about Danny’s past, because Danny talked about his life in Jersey so little that Steve had been fascinated by every little scrap that he was being given. Maybe if he’d been paying attention he would have noticed Farouk first. Maybe then it would be him with the merciless red dot on his chest and Danny would be safe. He should have stayed with Danny, not tried to box Farouk in. He had longer legs, he would have passed Danny, and if he’d seen the device he might have been able to stop this whole debacle.

Steve snorted shakily, he was sure he’d given himself away today. Sure that there was no way that Danny couldn’t have seen right through him, but Danny’s focus was on beating that light on his chest. His complete concentration was on surviving an explosion that would surely obliterate him and stop him getting home to his Monkey. Danny hadn’t seen Steve’s hands trembling, his voice breaking, tears he couldn’t stop glazing his eyes as he struggled to make his Danny be still and calm and safe from the mortal danger he faced. The same tears he had barely held back as he sobbed a burst of choked laughter out against Danny’s shoulder while they hugged.

Today had proved something to him. A realization that had been a long time coming. Danny loved him, but he was in love with Danny. Dragging a deep shuddering breath, Steve wiped at the tears that tracked down his cheeks unaware of them even happening. Holding his hands out in front of him, he watched them trembling before he clutched them back, his arms folded tightly, his hands tucked into his armpits, trying desperately to press the quivering from them, trying to stop the bone wracking shivers that were starting to engulf him.

He was self-aware enough to realize he was in shock. Which was hardly surprising given the turns that the day had taken, but it was unusual given that he’d done this a million times before. Just never with Danny.

His Danny.

Turning he trudged back into the house, his boots sodden and trailing sandy, watery footprints after him. His pants were soaked to mid-thigh and squelching with every step, pulling against the thigh holsters he still wore. He walked almost blindly through the lower floor rooms, stopping only long enough to draw a bottle of bourbon from the back of the bookshelf under the stairs. Pausing in his trudging only long enough to take a mouthful of the burning liquid, not noticing the bottle cap rolling under the bookshelf as it fell forgotten from his hand. Walking through to the kitchen he stood briefly in front of a cabinet, a frown furrowing his brow, his head tilted to the side, knowing he needed something but not sure what he was seeking.

Suddenly, all the fight left him.

The bourbon bottle clasped to his chest, he crumpled soundlessly to the floor. His descent complete, his back rubbed against a cabinet door, the handle gouging into the middle of his back as he rocked gently, the open liquor bottle falling to the floor, its contents slowly glugging out of the bottle to pool on the floor around him, soaking into his already sodden pants.

He couldn’t help himself. Brave sailor, navy seal, war hero, task force leader all of that was forgotten. None of it mattered. He was just a man who had had a harrowing day. It was a day where he almost lost the most important person in his world. Pulling his knees up, he clasped his hands around his legs and let his face rest upon his knees. Releasing a shuddering breath, the first time it took him by surprise, a jagged sob torn out of his throat by the fear that still gripped his heart. After that it was easier and harder at the same time. Great wrenching bursts of tears and pain, dragged from him in deep burning gulps by the terror that had filled him.

Slowly the fear eased. He released his hold on his legs and let them fall out straight in front of him, his head tilting back across his cutlery drawer, the handle brushing across his scalp. Watching Danny run from him this afternoon, to take Gracie to the father/Daughter dance was almost as hard as watching that dot on his chest. Steve had wanted nothing more than to follow and not let his partner out of his sight for the rest of his life, or at least the rest of the day. Play chauffeur for his favorite father/daughter Duo. Instead he had let Danny go. Let him go back to the one who was really important to him. Flagging down a taxi, he’d functioned on auto pilot; he couldn’t even remember getting home. All he knew was his Danny was safe now.

And that was all that mattered.


	2. Present Tense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's best to just pick up the peices and go on as normal.

Danny let his head drop back against the headrest, watching the soft amber glow of the bedside lamp from Grace’s bedroom window. He knew she was probably asleep. She was when he left. After the dance he couldn’t bear to be parted from her, so he’d sat on the edge of the bed and read to her from one of the Harry Potter books, so distracted that Grace had chided him for forgetting to ‘do the voices, Danno.’. It hadn’t mattered though, she’d fallen asleep after three pages and Danny had just sat and watched her sleep until Rachel had come and chased him out.

So now he sat here, watching the glow of the light that she couldn’t sleep without. Yet another thing that he could thank the world at large for, not only did she have to worry about terrorism and security and all the rest of the crap that comes with life in the 21st century, but there were so many monsters in the world the boogey monsters in the dark were so much more real and just couldn’t be destroyed.

His eyes drifted closed, content for the moment to be here watching over his Grace, keeping her safe, refusing to acknowledge the voice in his head that told him he couldn’t keep her namesake alive when his phone rang shrilly.

“Hello.” He answered on the second trill not even bothering to check to caller ID.

“I’m sorry for calling so late, Danny, is Steve with you?” Catherine’s asked, with just enough concern in her voice to make the hair on Danny’s neck to stand on end.

“I had a function with Monkey.” Danny answered quietly backtracking his day in his head. “I haven’t seen him since….”

“The bomb was defused.” Catherine finished for him. “Kono told me. Nice work by the way.”

“Nice work? I didn’t do anything except almost get blown up.” Danny shrugged.

“Almost works, right. Not dead is a win in my books. I’m glad you’re still in one piece.”

“Good thing I like you Lt.” Danny almost grinned, relaxing minutely into the seat as her voice washed over him easing some of his tension away. “Are you worried about him?”

“He was supposed to meet me for dinner. But I haven’t seen him. He’s not answering his phone. I figured after the day you had that he would be with you.”

“Why would he be with me? He knew I had the Father/Daughter dance. He should have just gone home.”

“I’ve tried his cell and his land line. Both are straight to messages. That’s not like him, especially after a hard day. He usually needs his people around him those days.” Catherine spoke softly.

Danny paused for a moment, his eyes sliding closed as he remembered the haunted look in Steve’s eyes when the bomb had been defused. “I’m close. I’ll go and check on him. I’ll call you from Casa McGarrett.”

“Thanks Danny.” Catherine responded, the silence after her response let Danny believe that the call had been disconnected as he started the Camaro and pulled onto the road. “Be gentle with him, Danny.”

“What do you know that I don’t?” Danny frowned.

“Just remember he’s not always the ninja you think he is.” Catherine answered and disconnected the call.

~*~*~*~*~

When Danny stopped the Camaro in front of Steve’s house, the Silverado was sitting in its normal parking space, but no lights were on in the house. Checking his phone Danny realized that even if he was exhausted Steve wouldn’t be sleeping yet. Danny leaned over and pulled his weapon from the glove compartment. Climbing out of the car, Danny moved quietly to the side of the Silverado and checked the engine, finding it cold, a frown furrowed his brow. 

Holding his weapon loosely in his palm, Danny slipped through the moonlit shadows down along the side of the house. The darkness inside the house didn’t reveal anything to him as he glanced inside. At the corner of the lanai, Danny’s eyes swept across the back yard, relieved to find the back lawn looking just as innocuous as it always did. Turning his attention back to the house, his eyes narrowed at the wet puddles leading into the house through the open doors.

Gun extended in front of him, Danny methodically moved through the first two rooms, clearing the house with the same care that he would if he didn’t know every nook and cranny of _this_ house. The same way he would if it were a crime scene, barely restraining himself from calling out for his partner. Just in case another moments silence would save his partner. He wasn’t going to lose another partner. Especially not this partner.

When was this miserable fucking day going to end.

Taking a deep breath, Danny turned to the kitchen, his gun lowering as he took in the scene before him.

“Oh Babe.” He breathed softly. 

Holstering his gun, he slipped his phone from his pocket and dialed Catherine’s number with trembling fingers.

“Danny?” she answered before it had trilled its way through the first ring.

“He’s here. I’ve got him.” Danny murmured.

“Thank God.” Catherine’s breathy response was filled with relief. “Is he okay? Why didn’t he answer?”

“No idea I’ll find out.” Danny responded his eyes never leaving Steve’s lax face.

“Take care of him, Danny.” Catherine whispered before disconnecting the call.

Danny walked across the kitchen, placing his phone on the kitchen block; he stepped over a puddle of what looked like booze. Picking up the almost empty bottle, he placed it on the counter. One foot on either side of Steve’s thighs, Danny squatted down, peering into his partner’s face, trying to understand what had happened since they had last spoken.

“Steve.” He murmured softly without touching him. “Steve, wake up, c’mon you big goof.”

“Danny?” Steve whispered his brow furrowing as he struggled to wake up.

“Yeah, it’s me goofball. Are you okay?” Danny rolled forward to rest his weight on his knees on either side of Steve’s thighs. His hands cupping Steve’s head, fingers gently probing his scalp looking for injuries, his thumbs gently tracing the tear tracks on Steve’s face.

“ ’m good.” Steve responded groggily.

Danny let his hands trail across Steve’s shoulders down arms that clumsily batted at Danny’s hands before they moved on to checking Steve’s ribs. By the time his hands had reached Steve’s mid thighs he was frowning. Shuffling back a little he took Steve’s pistols from their holsters and placed them on the counter above Steve’s head. Pushing his hand in to one of the pockets he pulled Steve’s cell phone from his pocket. Turning the phone to look at the waterlogged screen he grinned wryly at the phone’s state and pushed it onto the counter beside the guns.

“Want to tell me why you’re a drowned rat, SuperSEAL?” Danny cajoled gently.

“Ocean didn’t help this time.” Steve shrugged still not quite conscious, one hand reaching up to touch Danny’s face gently. “Nothing helped.”

“What’s wrong, babe?” Danny frowned, “You’re worrying me.”

“I’m okay.” Steve shook his head slowly, as if everything was just coming into focus again. “You should go, be with Gracie. You shouldn’t be with me. She’s important. You should be with her.”

“You’re important too, Babe. But the dance is already done, she’s been asleep at Rachel’s for hours. Now give it up. What’s wrong?”

Danny swung around to sit on the floor beside Steve, close enough that their shoulders were rubbing as they breathed.

“It’s stupid.” Steve shook his head minutely, long fingers plucking at the clasp of his holster.

“A little bit more stupid won’t matter today.” Danny let his head tilt over until it rested on Steve’s shoulder, nudging him a little with his shoulder.

“I thought I’d lost you.” Steve’s voice was barely loud enough to be heard.

“You wish.” 

“That was too close today.” A shudder ran through Steve as he spoke, his bottom lip trembling for a fraction of a second that he couldn’t control. “Far too close.”

“I know.” Danny agreed, “But we both survived and in that end that is all that matters.”

“I’m sorry.” 

“What for?” Danny asked, turning his head to look at Steve’s face.

“Putting you in harm’s way. Always going in without backup. Making you listen to the ocean. Everything.”

“I don’t think the ocean is really your fault. But if you’d at least think about backup in future I’ll be delighted.”

“I promise.” Steve turned his head to look at Danny, their foreheads pressed together.

“What say we get you upstairs and into bed? Maybe even showered first?” Danny asked, his nose brushing across Steve’s as he moved to stand and extend a hand to Steve.

Steve laced his fingers with Danny’s and let himself be pulled to his feet. Danny dragged him into a tight embrace. Steve pulled Danny into his body his arms wrapped tightly around him, squeezing him in a rib cracking bear hug.

“Will you stay?” Steve spoke against the top of Danny’s hair.

“Not going anywhere babe.”

“are you sure you don’t need to go to Grace? You’re wasting your borrowed time with me.”

“Did you ever think that maybe now I have another reason to be thankful for that borrowed time? Without it I wouldn’t have you.”


	3. Future Tense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Secrets spoken in the dark of night can ease the burden of life.

Danny was accustomed to waking slowly, letting consciousness wash over him like a slow rolling wave. Not this time. Instant wakefulness. He laid there, his eyes closed, trying to gauge in his own mind before he gave himself away what had woken him. A soft gulping noise to his left startled him and his eyes flew open as he realized that was what had woken him.

Steve sat on the side of the bed, his back rigid. As Danny watched he could see that Steve’s hands gripped the edge of the mattress, his arms stiff, and his entire body trembling uncontrollably. 

“Steve.” Danny spoke softly, his voice gruff with the edges of sleep.

“Go back to sleep Danny.” Steve’s voice was hollow and haunted.

“Can’t do that, babe.” Danny shuffled further across the bed.

“You can’t help me.” Steve sighed. “One of us should be sleeping.”

“It would be better if we both were.” Danny suggested.

“I won’t sleep anymore tonight.” Steve murmured. 

“Flashbacks?” Danny surmised, he reached a hand across the small gap that separated them and hesitated. “Can I touch you?” he asked.

Steve nodded his head, his chin dropping back against his chest wearily, tension keeping his body rigid.

“Do you want to talk about it, babe?” Danny asked gently, his hand gently stroking across the damp skin of Steve’s back. He’d been in Steve’s position himself. Events that shouldn’t have to happen at all, let alone witnessed by civilized people eating away at you until your psyche just couldn’t bear it anymore. Danny didn’t want to think about how many nights Steve had sat here like this, enduring the horrors that his work had presented him with, he, himself, with his own work had seen hundreds of things he could unsee, but he was sure that was nothing compared to what Steve had endured for his country. No one could hold that shit in forever.

“No.” Steve’s response came from between clenched teeth. “Just drop it, Danno.”

“It helps if you talk about it.” Danny soothed him, his tone the same as he used with Grace when she was woken by bad dreams.

“I'm not a child. Besides I can’t talk about it, Danny.” Steve bit out. “That’s what classified means.”

“I know what classified means, Steven,” Danny pulled on Steve’s shoulder, ignoring Steve’s resistance until Steve gave in and almost collapsed back against the bed. Danny laid back down molding himself along Steve’s side not deliberately touching him, but letting their skin touch where their bodies met. “You need to let this out or….”

“Or what Danny? I’ll be even more of a hard-ass emotionless bastard than I already am?” Steve snorted, the noise closer to a sob than would ever be acknowledged.

“You can’t carry everything on your own.” Danny murmured, turning his head to watch Steve’s profile in the moonlit darkness. “How do you think I know so many therapists? After Grace I needed them, there’s no shame in that. I don't care what bullshit the military tells you. Therapy can only make you stronger. Carrying such weight on your own won’t work.”

“Worked so far.” 

“No, no it hasn’t. If it had we wouldn’t be here like this now.” Danny responded.

“It’s my problem, D, not yours. mine.” Steve whispered.

Danny’s heart broke at the way Steve’s chin trembled as he spoke. Usually he had the strength of titanium, but in this moment in the darkness he was as fragile as bone china. In the wrong hands he would shatter into a million peices. Danny wasn't going to let that happen. He studied Steve’s face, the stubborn tilt of his jaw no matter how it trembled, the firm set of his lips, the sheen of tears in eyes that stared sightlessly at the ceiling. No. Danny was wrong. It wasn’t sightlessly, he knew from bitter experience that Steve might not be seeing what was there now, but he was seeing in vivid living, breathing color every frame of whatever nightmare had pulled him from sleep.

“Your problems are my problems you big goofball. That’s what ‘partners’ mean.” Danny rolled onto his side, his head lifted onto one hand, before he tentatively reached out to trace his fingertips down Steve’s forearm, surprised when Steve turned his hand over and gripped Danny’s hand tightly, lacing their fingers together.

“I can’t lose you.” Steve whispered, turning his face away from Danny as tears slipped from the corner of his eyes unbidden.

“Hey, big guy.” Danny leaned up and with his free hand turned Steve’s face back to him. “You’re not losing me.”

“I should have protected you.” Steve rolled towards Danny, watching him closely, one trembling hand reaching out to trace the line of Danny’s face. “I should have done more, I’m trained for that shit. I knew it could happen. I should have protected you better than I did.”

“I’m not made of glass, I can take care of myself.” He frowned even as he spoke watching Steve shake his head, refuting the claim. “What I’m not good enough to look after myself?”

“Not what I meant.” Steve whispered, rolling back onto his back.

“I know that, but don’t you think it cuts both ways. I couldn't let that happen to you.” Danny almost smiled as he watched Steve’s head whip back towards him, eyes searching Danny’s face wildly. “I know how you feel Steve.” He whispered.

“What?” 

“You think you can hide anything on that face of yours?” Danny smiled at him. “I think I’ve known, or at least suspected, for a long time, but you couldn’t hide it today. It was right there written all over your face.”

“You were never meant to know.” Steve murmured, his eyes fixed on Danny’s lips.

“Did you ever think about asking me?” 

“You’ve had Rachel, you’ve got Gabby.” Steve let his eyes slipped closed not wanting to see the pity he knew to expect.

“Only because you have Cath.” Danny responded instantly, almost smiling at the shocked expression on Steve’s face.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. I can’t, we can’t do this.” Steve rolled away, flinging his arm over his face.

“Do you think you might like to ask me before you completely write us off?” Danny leaned up to look into Steve’s face.

“No. I’m telling you we can’t do anything. Ever.” He rolled onto his side away from Danny, shrugging away from his touch.

“That’s just great, SuperSEAL. As usual don’t include me in something that is about me.” Danny grizzled, a frown furrowing his brow as he watched Steve closely.

Steve flopped onto his back. “Look what today did to us….to me. I can’t do that again D. I can’t do any of this without you.”

“And you think I want to do today over again….ever?”

“Probably not.” Steve turned his head to look at Danny. “And if I ever tell you to leave me there, you do it.”

“Did you?”

“Not the fucking point, Daniel. You have Grace to worry about. I’ve got nobody. Keep yourself safe, for her.”

“Do something for me?” Danny asked, his voice soft and affectionate, his hand cupping Steve’s shoulder, and his thumb tracing the shadowed ink.

“Anything in my power.” Steve answered earnestly.

“Roll over. Face the door, Sailor.” Danny ordered him.

Steve surprisingly did as he was told, Danny shuffled forward until they were both sharing Steve’s pillow. Resting one arm comfortably around Steve’s chest, he let his fingers absently trace across the cool skin they touched.

“I’m going to share an old Williams’s family remedy for late night heebeegeebees. But it needs a certain amount of interaction from you.” Danny explained his breath warm against Steve’s neck.

“It does, does it?” Steve let his eyes drift closed, the easy familiarity they shared easing the tension from his shoulders.

“It does.” Danny snuggled in closer, folding his body to fit against the length of his partners. “I’m here, I’m not going to judge, I won’t even speak if you don’t want me to, but you need to talk about what’s bothering you. Tell the darkness. Tell me. Just let it out babe. It will hurt more the longer you hold onto it. There is no judgment, no recriminations just you talking about whatever it is that is causing this pain.” Danny leaned down and pressed his warm lips to Steve’s neck.

“And if I don’t want you to know?” Steve’s voice sounded strangled as he spoke.

“Then I’ll call Cath or Chin or Max, anyone you want, you need to let this out babe.”

They lay there entwined for long dark minutes. Danny’s fingers tracing abstract shapes on Steve’s skin as he felt him start to relax in his hold, relaxed enough that Danny thought he must have fallen asleep.

“I’ve lived today once before.” Steve’s voice was gruff, his words clipped. One hand reached up to touch Danny’s arm, as if he needed contact of his own. “Second time I led a mission.”

He fell silent, his breath leaving him in a shuddering rush. Danny resisted the urge to prompt him, realizing that Steve needed just a little more time to get things as straight in his head as he could. 

“Josh Easton.” Danny had to strain to hear his voice, “Lt Josh Easton. Westy. He was my 2IC. A really good kid. Wet behind the ears but he was a good operator. Just needed some on the job time.”

Danny’s eyes dropped closed at the pain in Steve’s voice, he knew from the tense of Steve’s words that whatever had happened to ‘Westy’ hadn’t been good.

“We’d completed our mission and were humping out. We had two prisoners. There was a party of locals on the path, we stopped them, two of the guys searched them but there was women in the party and some confusion because of the religion thing, they could have missed something. Josh wasn’t satisfied. He had good instincts; he could almost smell that something was wrong. He pulled them up a second time.”

“You don’t have to go any further if you don’t want to babe.” Danny murmured, his lips moving against the back of Steve’s head as he did, but Steve continued as if he hadn’t heard Danny.

“The second guy Josh checked, he was strapped, as soon as Josh opened his robes the bomb armed. We didn’t even have time to do anything. All I could hear after the explosion was him screaming in the comms. Begging me to take care of his wife. Telling me he was sorry he fucked up. He was the one lying on the ground in pieces and he was apologising. I should have protected him. I could have, should have done something. Westy saved us all. They would have detonated while they were passing us and killed us all." Steve took a deep shuddering breath. "It ripped him in two and then took him almost fifteen seconds to die but it seemed like hours, some nights I can still hear his screams in my head.”

Danny tightened his hold on Steve, gripping him in a tight embrace, his face against the back of Steve’s head, his breath warm on Steve’s neck.

“I kept seeing that today. But it was you, and I couldn’t help it. You were in pieces and I couldn’t fix you.”

“Shhh. It’s alright, babe. We made it out. I’m sorry for Westy, but we, you and me? We’re good.” Danny tightened his hold on Steve and lifted his head to press a chaste kiss to Steve’s cheek.

Steve pulled out of Danny’s tight embrace, rolling until he was facing his partner before dropping his head back against the pillow, his face close enough to Danny’s that their noses brushed every time they moved.

“I couldn’t do this without you.” Steve whispered, his eyelashes brushing Danny’s skin as he blinked.

“You could and you will. If anything ever happens to me you have to keep going. Keep making this place safe for our Grace.”

“Our Grace?” Steve spoke in a reverent murmur.

“I trust Stan to provide for her, but you? You I trust to help her become the woman I want her to be, you I trust to keep her safe and to keep her Danno alive for her.” Danny spoke with a catch in his voice, “So yes, our Grace.” Danny lifted his hand to brush the tears off Steve’s cheek with his thumb.

“I can’t seem to stop crying.” Steve’s skin tinged pink with embarrassment at his perceived weakness.

“Tears are good. You’ve had a helluva day. Tears are cleansing. I’d be worried if there was none.”

Danny looked into Steve’s face, held his gaze, watched the myriad of blue and green and grey flecks sparkling tear bright in his irises. Felt more than watched Steve nervously lick his lips, the soft exhalation of breath, the ghosting of damp movement across his own lips. Danny did the only thing he felt he could, tilted his head forward slightly and pressed his dry lips to Steve’s.

For the longest moment, Danny thought he had done the wrong thing. Thought he had misconstrued Steve’s earlier emotional confession, but then Steve’s lips parted under his and their soft brush of lips turned into a real kiss. Their first real kiss.

It seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Steve’s lips moving gently over his, his tongue tentatively exploring Steve’s mouth, their hands slowly exploring, sharing each other’s exhaled breath. The need for fresh oxygen was what drew them apart. Foreheads pressed together, noses rubbing gently, Steve’s hands caressing Danny’s ribs, Danny’s fingers carding slowly through Steve’s short hair. Steve closed his eyes and leaned into the gentle touch, letting Danny work away the shadows in his mind.

“Much as I’d like to participate in the life affirming goodness of sex, I don’t think either of us are in a position, physically or emotionally, do you?” Danny tilted his head back and looked into Steve’s eyes as they both tried to catch their breath.

“We can.” Steve spoke on a barely suppressed yawn. “If that’s what you want.”

“It should be what we want, Steven.” Danny smiled pulling him into a tight embrace.

“I want whatever you want.” Steve shrugged almost nervously.

“If I thought this was what it took to make you pliable and amenable to any suggestion I gave you I would have done this a long time ago.”

“I always listen to your suggestions.” Steve yawned, unable to even muster the pretense of hiding it this time.

Danny loosened his hold on Steve and reached down the bed to pull the discarded sheet back over them, relaxing back into the pillows and pulling Steve against him as he did.

“Good. You’re exhausted. It’s time to sleep. Everything else we can work on in the morning.” He reached down to pull Steve’s hand into his. Lacing their fingers together he lifted Steve’s hand and brushed his lips across Steve’s knuckles. 

“I haven’t even asked how you are.” Steve spoke against Danny’s chest, his eyes so heavy with exhaustion he could barely keep them open.

“I have you and I have Grace. I may need therapy, but I have everything I need right here.”

Danny’s fingertips traced a soothing arc up and down Steve’s back, his lips twisting into an almost grin when he realized Steve had fallen asleep against his chest.

“Sleep, SuperSEAL, tonight let _me_ keep your demons at bay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so good to see so many people writing codas for 3.06. So many people can see we have the 'old' show back, especially since it's inspiring so much fic


End file.
